Fire alarm system

ABSTRACT

A portable battery powered fire alarm device employing a bellows charged with a substance which causes expansion of the bellows. This expansion actuates a battery powered alarm.

Unitw States Patent 11 1 McDonald Aug. 14, 1973 [54] FTRE ALARM SYSTEM3,470,341 9/1969 Beddoe ZOO/83.31 X 2,471,838 5/1949 Ross 1 200/83 C[75] Inventor: Grover Knoxv'ue' 2,757,361 7/1956 Cameron 1 200/83 cTenn- 2,697,766 12/1954 Goldmuntz 337/117 X [73] Assignee: The RaymondLee Organization,

Inc., New York, N.Y. Primary ExaminerJohn W. Caldwell [22] Flled' 1971Assistant ExaminerWilliam M. Wannisky [21] Appl. No.: 176,726Att0rneyTheodore Jay, Esq.

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 831,537,June 9, 1969,

abandoned.

- [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl IMO/227.1, 200/83 R, 337/117 {51] Int. ClG08b 21/00, HOlh 25/32 [58] Field 01 seal-e11 337/1 17; 200/83 c, APOrtable batery Powered fire alarm dev'ce 3 N. 2 7 2 111g a bellowscharged With a substance WhlCh causes y expansion of the bellows. Thisexpansion actuates a [56] References Cited battery powered alarm.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,187,334 6/1916 Keppler 340 2271 1 Claim, 5Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 14,- 1973 3,753,256

INVENTOR. GROVE/E C. M DONAL D FIRE ALARM SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCES TORELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation of application Ser. No.831,537 filed 06/09/69 now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My bellows is hollow and is filled with amixture of alcohol and water which will cause the bellows to expand at aselected temperature, the temperature depending upon the relativeproportions of the two fluids. A normally open switch connected incircuit with batteries and an alarm such as a bell is closed by thisexpansion and actuates the alarm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a side viewof my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the bellows; FIG. 4 is a detailview of parts of the invention; and FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of myinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS.1-5, a hollow bellows arranged vertically in a guide 12 has its bottomend welded or otherwise secured to the guide and its upper end free tomove extends through an opening into the bottom end of a vertical hollowchamber 14. A removable side mounted plug 16 in the bellows permits thebellows to be filled with any mixture of alcohol and water whereby thebellows will expand at any selected temperature from 178 F to 210 Fdepending upon the relative proportions of alcohol and water. Thebellows has a plunger 30 at its top end adjacent a plunger actuatedswitch 20. Normally the plunger is spaced from the switch which is thenopen. When the bellows expands, plunger 30 moves into contact with theswitch and closes same.

Switch 18 has one lead 22 connected in series with batteries 24 to oneside of a buzzer or bell 26. Switch 18 has another lead 28 connected tothe other side of the bell. When the switch is closed, the'leads 22 and28 are connected together to complete the circuit'and actuate the bellto sound the alarm. The switch, batteries,

lead and armature of the bell are disposed within the container with theremainder of the bell extending outside.

Flash light or transistor batteries can be used. While I have describedmy invention with particular reference to the drawings, such is not tobe considered aslimiting its actual scope.

I claim:

1. A portable, battery powered fire alarm device comprising:

a. a hollow chamber defining a casement for the alarm device;

b. a guide extending through one wall of the chamber and intocommunication with the interior of the chamber;

0. a hollow bellows mounted within the guide, said bellows having:

1. a stationary end secured to the guide,

2. another end free to move within the guide and into communication withthe interior of the chamber;

3. a liquid within the bellows which liquid being ca pable of extendingthe free end of the ballows along the guide and into communication withthe interior of the chamber as a result of the volumetric expansion ofthe liquid itself at a predetermined temperature, said liquid being amixture of alcohol and water and 4. a side mounted plug which permitsthe addition of any mixture of alcohol and water to the system;-

d. a plunger mounted integrally with the free end of the bellows; I

e. a normally open pressure sensitive switch disposed within theinterior of the chamber. and in a normally spaced alignment with theplunger; and

f. an electrically actuated alarm connected in circuit with the switch,said alarm being actuated when the switch is closed;

Whereby upon the volumetric expansion of the liquid at the predeterminedtemperature, the free end of the bellows is expanded and carries theplunger into direct contact with the switch, said contact resulting inthe closing of the switch and the consequent actuation of the alami.

1. A portable, battery powered fire alarm device comprising: A. A HOLLOWCHAMBER DEFINING A CASEMENT FOR THE ALARM DEVICE; B. A GUIDE EXTENDINGTHROUGH ONE WALL OF THE CHAMBER AND INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOROF THE CHAMBER; C. A HOLLOW BELLOWS MOUNTED WITHIN THE GUIDE, SAIDBELLOWS HAVING:
 1. A STATIONARY END SECURED TO THE GUIDE,
 2. ANOTHER ENDFREE TO MOVE WITHIN THE GUIDE AND INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOROF THE CHAMBER;
 2. ANOTHER END FREE TO MOVE WITHIN THE GUIDE AND INTOCOMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER;
 3. A LIQUID WITHIN THEBELLOWS WHICH LIQUID BEING CAPABLE OF EXTENDING THE FREE END OF THEBALLOWS ALONG THE GUIDE AND INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THECHAMBER AS A RESULT OF THE VOLUMETRIC EXPANSION OF THE LIQUID ITSELF ATA PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, SAID LIQUID BEING A MIXTURE OF ALCOHOL ANDWATER; AND
 3. A LIQUID WITHIN THE BELLOWS WHICH LIQUID BEING CAPABLE OFEXTENDING THE FREE END OF THE BALLOWS ALONG THE GUIDE AND INTOCOMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER AS A RESULT OF THEVOLUMETRIC EXPANSION OF THE LIQUID ITSELF AT A PREDETERMINEDTEMPERATURE, SAID LIQUID BEING A MIXTURE OF ALCOHOL AND WATER; AND
 4. ASIDE MOUNTED PLUG WHICH PERMITS THE ADDITION OF ANY MIXTURE OF ALCOHOLAND WATER TO THE SYSTEM; D. A PLUNGER MOUNTED INTEGRALLY WITH THE FREEEND OF THE BELLOWS; E. A NORMALLY OPEN PRESSURE SENSITIVE SWITCHDISPOSED WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER AND IN A NORMALLY SPACEDALIGNMENT WITH THE PLUNGER; AND F. AN ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED ALARMCONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE SWITCH, SAID ALARM BEING ACTUATED WHEN THESWITCH IS CLOSED; Whereby upon the volumetric expansion of the liquid atthe predetermined temperature, the free end of the bellows is expandedand carries the plunger into direct contact with the switch, saidcontact resulting in the closing of the switch and the consequentactuation of the alarm.
 4. A SIDE MOUNTED PLUG WHICH PERMITS THEADDITION OF ANY MIXTURE OF ALCOHOL AND WATER TO THE SYSTEM; D. A PLUNGERMOUNTED INTEGRALLY WITH THE FREE END OF THE BELLOWS; E. A NORMALLY OPENPRESSURE SENSITIVE SWITCH DISPOSED WITHIN THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBERAND IN A NORMALLY SPACED ALIGNMENT WITH THE PLUNGER; AND F. ANELECTRICALLY ACTUATED ALARM CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE SWITCH, SAIDALARM BEING ACTUATED WHEN THE SWITCH IS CLOSED; Whereby upon thevolumetric expansion of the liquid at the predetermined temperature, thefree end of the bellows is expanded and carries the plunger into directcontact with the switch, said contact resulting in the closing of theswitch and the consequent actuation of the alarm.